Our Annual Picnic

President's Message

Hello to our website visitors. The San Diego Prowlers are now well into our 71st year. It is August and it's hot even in San Diego. This was our first Summer
since the early '70s that we haven't staged our annual

"Picnic and Ol' Timers Reunion". It really feels good to relax a little and have time to drive our hot rods and maybe even work on them a little.

As promised we are reinventing ourselves back into "doing whatever we want" for a change and leave the event planning to promoters who enjoy that stuff!

We are still the unchallenged "oldest hot rod club" continuously corrupting young men since 1947 so please dig in to our webpages and visit the hot rod club that
has been there the whole time. See the men, cars and their hobby from post WWII to the present that was the laboratory of power and style that helped shape today’s automobile.

News

Prowlers Car Club History

And so it was, the Prowlers came to be in 1947. Born out of a desire to race and the need for a car club to become members of the Russetta Timing Association, (R.T.A.).

Ed Stewart was a member of the Southern California Timing Association, S.C.T.A., and offered some of the fellows the chance to race as his guest at the El Mirage dry lakes (now a part of Edwards
Air Force Base). But the rules of the S.C.T.A. said you had to have a roadster to race. Coupes and sedans were not allowed.

So the guys, seven or so decided to form a club to gain membership in the Russetta Timing Association (R.T.A.) which allowed all car models and body styles.

The search for a club name began with some interesting suggestions like the Crank Twisters, the Ride Riders and the Screw Drivers. Yeah right! How bout the Roadents, Dusters or the Coupes? All
original but not really about the guys involved.

Then Frank Wilkinson suggested since we are just prowling around, always on the go, how about the Prowlers?

Then the seven charter members went about writing rules, deciding on club colors and started meeting once a week. It was decided that all members must have a 1940 or older Ford and all
prospective members had to be sponsored by a current member to be considered for membership. Years later the rule of the year of the car was changed to 1948. The club membership is limited to
30. Today, we're meeting twice a month and still going strong. All the new members' cars had to pass inspection by the club and every car required a few modifications to qualify.

Often they would meet at Ed Stewart's house. Ed was known for making burgundy wine and everyone thought his burgundy wine had a deep rich color and tasted great ... the rest is history.

Ace Carnahan's girlfriend, now his wife Ella was a majorette and knew some people that could make up club jackets. Hoot Gibson (yes it's his real name) came up with the design, everyone
agreed with the "T" roadster logo and the first Prowler jackets were produced. Jim Bradbury designed the logo in use today in the mid 50's. Jim recently recreated the current logo drawing and
presented it to the club at our 60th Anniversary picnic. Thanks, Jim! Dick Wilson was awarded jacket number one and Frank Wilkinson remembers his was number seven, his lucky number. Ace, (our
only Charter Member) and Ella with their '40 Ford coupe of today.